NEWS

1's v Stoneywood Abandoned!

After a week of unbroken sunshine it was always going to be a rain interrupted day for the RHC massive.

GREAT unsung work from Cunners, Hoffy (as ever) but particularly Lambie and Dave Lawrie (who not only scrubbed the sightscreens clean over 5 hours of backbreaking work but then cleaned the changing rooms and sorted the scorehut - again!) left the ground looking an absolute picture by 6pm on the Friday. However the rain then came. Arnie and Lambie hung around on and off till 945pm on the Friday with the covers now on and the kids all away after their usual footy/cider/friday night combo.

9am on Saturday and the covers had done their job. Skinny, Tyson, Arnie, Ryan, Preston and Cunners all appeared by 930 to get the ground sorted by 11am. Outfield was gonna dry by noon and the new drainage digging has clearly done its work... S-D arrived with the clouds following them down from the Northeast. After Kev's banter-laden warmup we lost the toss and were put in. It was muggy and although the deck looked solid it looked like the ball would swing. We'd have done the same to them.

Out strode Preston and Rob and they looked solid against some testing bowling. Preston hit a lovely couple of shots through cover - textbook skip, textbook. But we looked nervous in the conditions as SD kept it tight. Rob nicked off to second slip in the 6th over and it started a mini collapse as Preston followed soon after getting a leading edge off a shorter ball and spooning one up to mid on. 15 odd for 2. Craigie Adams joined Coach Kev and although scratchy the boys patiently nudged the score to 68 odd off 25 overs.

Unfortunately Craig, despite some golden time out in the middle was soon out for 12/13 odd. Kev hit a couple of lovely straight shots and a beauty pulled over mid on. He then swung for another pull and got a top edge which the S-D keeper pouched at the second attempt, leaving him out for 38. Suddely we were 80 odd for 4. Cunners hit a couple of fours but was soon out, but Reevo looked very solid, taking a particular liking to Jan Stander in one over for three fours, with two being beauties through point.

The rain was now falling pretty hard and it brought the inevitable rain break - perhaps a bit later than the groundstaff wanted, but not before Pallav got out to an LBW and Tyson nicked off to gully first up.

115 for 7 off 37 overs. 150 was a winning score with the air so heavy with moisture. But after an early tea - thanks to the Greigs and their new chums Yorkshire Tea - we were left to wait and watch until 5.15... Covers came back off and some innovative towel rolling got the deck OK. Stander was keen to carry on but the rain wouldn't stop and eventually, after a further torrential burst at 545 the game was called off at 6pm.

Game played in a decent spirit despite the fact S-D were (understandably) going up for EVERYTHING, much to the amusement of our batsmen in the gazebo... Some Tiger stories were told in the rain and the texts came thick and fast from the twos who were soon off themselves. Shame... because we fancied our chances, with our bowling unit causing some real panic chasing a potentially "low" score if the weather cleared.

Roll on Weirs away... Gavin Lowrey and his ageing chums on the way. Weirs can surprise many fellas and its NOT all about Nel, their pro. Gilly and the Greenwoods are a wily bunch as we well know. Let's keep Ruan Nel quiet... remember two mid wickets in close for him early on. Best of luck to the Ones - solid start to the season but the pleasing thing is everyone knows there is plenty of room for improvement. And competition for places remains extremely tight... plenty showing for selection.

Moment of the Day? Tied - Kev's ferocious pull early on and Ryan's square driving. And great effort getting the place so lovely so early in the season. Let's keep this intensity up! Thanks to all involved.